Many cryptocurrency users are familiar with this scenario: they see a coin jump in value, and, in anticipation of the ‘next Bitcoin,’ buy-in, only to find themselves with a huge loss. Just hours or days after the price increase, it will suddenly plummet, leaving late buyers holding the bag.

The phenomenon is not uncommon in other trading venues either, particularly stocks and equities markets, but the lack of regulation means that scams to cause this sort of price manipulation are not illegal in the crypto world. In fact, the recent pump and dump plans in the crypto sphere may be being coordinated by outside forces.